(no subject)

[archmagetrust]

 [OOM: Khadgar seeks safe passage for tracking the Shadow Council through orc territory. The Council does little to hide their corruption.]

The smell of sulphur accompanies Khadgar as he appears in a flash of blue light. He tucks his hearthstone away and kicks the snow and mud off his boots before trekking further into the room. He picks a booth and unslings his staff, setting Atiesh to float next to the table before he collapses into the seats. He'll order food in a moment, but right now he's just going to take a moment to rest. 

Cordana is right. He should be worried Gul'dan knows his name.

Comments

[sunbaked_baker]

At some point after he arrives, someone approaches Khadgar's booth and sets a plate on his table. On the plate is a cinnamon roll approximately the size of a human skull, still warm and soft from the oven. It bears the spicy-sweet scents of the melted cinnamon-sugar and homemade vanilla frosting soaking down into the spiral of warm, freshly-baked dough, all softness and melt-in-your-mouth comfort.

"You look like you've had a long day," Rae says, smiling slightly, though not without sympathy.

[archmagetrust]

"Greetings, Rae." He gives her a tired smile. "It has been a trying day, but this smells lovely, thank you." He starts pulling off his gloves, revealing age-spotted hands scarred by swordwork, the occasional magical mishap from mishandling fireballs, and a few alchemical burns.

"I'm glad to see you're recovering well."

[sunbaked_baker]

"Having full use of my hands again does a lot for my mood and outlook on life," she admits, wry. "And for my productivity. We spoke of baked goods last time we talked - and you looked like you could use a pick-me-up."

[archmagetrust]

"I could indeed, though this looks far too large for one person. Would you care to join me?" He gestures to the far side of the booth.

[sunbaked_baker]

"Gladly," she grins, accepting the offer and taking the seat opposite him. Her burns are faded now - still visible by the slightly shiny, healing skin upon the sides of her neck and on her hands, but well on their way towards healing well and fully. "How have you been?"

[archmagetrust]

"Oh, I haven't been getting into too much trouble," he says lightly. "Just catching the attention of an extremely powerful warlock by the name of Gul'dan."

He pulls a piece of the cinnamon bun free and pops it in his mouth. "Mm!" Rae hadn't been exaggerating her abilities. "That's impressively good."

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine chuckles, beaming at his reaction. "I'm glad you approve."

She waits for him to get another piece before tearing off a piece of the sticky cinnamon bun for herself. "From my experience, catching the attention of an extremely powerful anything is bad news."

"...Maybe catching the attention of an extremely powerful awards committee wouldn't be so bad," she grins.

[archmagetrust]

Khadgar grins back. "I could easily see you winning a baking competition with this." His mana bun recipe is nowhere near this gooey, but it's also meant for eating on the go.

"You're not wrong though." His smile dims. "Gul'dan is the orc responsible for selling his people out to the Burning Legion, demons, and the first invasion of Azeroth. This one is from an alternate reality but we're very worried about what he's up to. He's already allied with the Legion again."

[sunbaked_baker]

Rae grins wryly, maybe a touch smug as she chews the bite of cinnamon roll. It had turned out quite good. "I stopped entering my baking in the county fair competitions at nineteen. I had had enough of little old grannies glaring at me for having the gall to defeat their believed home recipes."

"Alternate reality?" She breathes, with sympathy. "Isn't one reality enough? What did he hope to gain from all that? What does he hope to gain now?"

[archmagetrust]

"Power." Khadgar shakes his head. "It's always been about power with Gul'dan. The only reason we survived the Second War is because he took the clans loyal to him and abandoned the rest of the Horde at a crucial battle just to chase some artifact. Well. The Eye of Sargeras isn't just 'some artifact' but I digress."

There's a sense of melancholy about him as he takes the next piece of roll. Those had been dark days full of panic and desperation. He lost good friends and mentors to the Horde's march across the Eastern Kingdoms.

[sunbaked_baker]

"Power-hungry, indeed. Sounds like he's the sort willing to change aims mid-plan if he sees some opportunity that might benefit him more, even at the cost of the first plan," Rae muses, disliking the sound of all that, and the talk's effect on Khadgar's shadows. "Is that a tendency that could be used against him?"

Generally, flexibility in planning is a good thing. But it can also speak of a lack of commitment, and that might be exploitable.

[archmagetrust]

Could they use Gul'dan's power hungry nature against him?

"Perhaps, if we can determine what he intends to use it for. He hasn't the Horde backing him this time but I doubt that means his Legion masters are willing to let a potential army go so easily." His frowns. "Not when the old Horde was capable enough to wipe out their own planet and nearly ours."

The question is how? He'd attempted to corrupt the Frostwolves through their wolves but that wouldn't have reached the rest of the Iron Horde. From what Durotan said as long as Grommash was in charge the Iron Horde wouldn't traffic with demons. Begrudgingly he admitted they probably had Garrosh to thank for that.

More to himself, "Why go to Shadowmoon?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"He isn't just seeking power on his own terms, then, if he answers to masters of his own," Rae murmurs, tearing off another piece of cinnamon roll and eating it. She is well aware of her own utter unfamiliarity with Khadgar's situation and his world, which matches her mun's complete unfamiliarity also, apart from a little while spent on the WoW wiki once or twice but Rae hopes she might be of use as a sounding board while Khadgar seeks clarity. "Would it have been his masters' decision for him to go to Shadowmoon, or his own? What is there a warlock could use?"

Rae waves down a waitrat, and orders a pot of blueberry-hibiscus tea and two cups for them. Her cinnamon rolls are delicious, but sometimes one needs something to drink to contrast with the sweetness.

[iprotectyou]

Having foregone his armor, Baze sits in a plush armchair by the fire, shaping and sanding ironwood inserts intended to mate with the stock of his lightbow on either side of the shoulder extension. The ironwood is incredibly hard, and shaping the inserts takes a great amount of effort with a hammer and chisel--a challenge which Baze gleefully meets. He has a sweating pitcher of water resting on a side table, and two glasses, one of which is full and he periodically drinks from.

The scent accompanying Khadgar is unmistakable, and Baze glances up at him.

"Hoi, Khadgar! Just get in from a battle?"

[archmagetrust]

"Hail and well met, Baze." Khadgar gives the other man a tired smile. "Indeed. Many demons were returned to the Nether today."

[iprotectyou]

"Good for you! I bet you're exhausted, though," Baze says, his tone laden with sympathy. He picks up his tools and inserts, and crosses to the table.

"Mind if I join you? Are you hungry? Why not order some dinner?"

[archmagetrust]

"You are welcome to join me." Khadgar waves his staff aside to make sure it's not in Baze's way of the table. "I had intended on ordering food, but you're fasting still, yes?"

He's definitely hungry but it would be rude to eat when Baze cannot.

[iprotectyou]

Baze settles his unarmored bulk in the offered chair, placing his inserts, sandpaper, and hammer and chisel on the table.

"I am, thanks for remembering, but I don't mind if you eat! Feel free to order. I'll get some water."

[archmagetrust]

As long as Baze is okay with it.

Khadgar waves a rat over and orders a bowl of turtle bisque, a pot of goldthorn tea, and a fresh pitcher of cold water for Baze. As the rat scurries off, he turns his attention to Baze's project.

"Those are pieces for your lightbow, yes? How's the project coming?"

[iprotectyou]

"They are, yes," Baze says, beaming at his friend. The Jedhan shows off the pieces of wood, having chipped them into curving shapes.

"They're ironwod inserts designed to mate with the stock of my bowcaster. The project is coming along great! I've still got a long way to go, but I'm encouraged by how well it's shaping up."

[archmagetrust]

"It looks good," Khadgar agrees with a smile. He has no idea what it should look like but he has a healthy respect for craftsmen.

"A lightbow is a type of bowcaster?"

[iprotectyou]

"Thank you! And yes, it is," Baze says, running the sandpaper over the wood.

"The hallmark of a bowcaster is that it shoots a metal quarrel enveloped by plasma, and that's just what the lightbow does."

[archmagetrust]

He muses on that.

"So it's more effective against the ablative armors, then? The quarrel pierces the armor and the plasma pierces everything else?"

It sounds devastating.

[iprotectyou]

"That's right. A shot from a bowcaster would kill a normal human instantly," Baze says, sanding the insert.

"My friend, Chirrut, once took out a TIE Fighter, which is a combat spaceship. He did it in the rain, and he's blind."

[archmagetrust]

"That is most impressive." In the rain, particularly.

The rat returns with his order and Khadgar gives it a gold coin for its trouble. "No change, thank you. What were you doing that you had to destroy a spaceship?"